A nice surprise...

I've had some inspiration lately, to start cutting into kits that are piling up in my scrap area.  I posted a layout in the Studio Calico and was asked shortly thereafter if it could be shared at scrapbookupdate.com.  I love this page!  The pictures are from a time when we took very few photos (didn't really have a good camera).

http://www.scrapbookupdate.com/2013/02/14/gallery-highlights-2-14-2013/#more-29845

I rarely post layouts online, so this was a nice surprise! 

A little basketball.

It's been a long time since I blogged.  Long. Time. 

Life has been busy. 

One thing in our busy life has been basketball.  Both girls are playing basketball.  Two practices a week and one game night.  Craziness.  We finally got a new camera and decided to give it a try.

This was our first attempt at action shots and John is not known for his dexterity with the camera.   So I took some advice from a member at Studio Calico and crossed my fingers.  I set the camera on manual (!!)   50mm  lens, 1.8 f, 1/640, iso 1600.  No flash.

Not great, but not bad for our first try.  There are a few more weeks in the season to practice. 

Cameo in hand!

 I jumped on the Cameo bandwagon...and I have to say it is AWESOME.  And, that's with probably only knowing about 8% of it's abilities. 

I cannot wait to use it on some layouts.  Cutting stuff out is addicting.  Right now I'm cutting stuff, just to cut it out and play with the software.  My first endeavor was creating tags with days of the week cut into the center. 

Once my phone (finally) updates, I'll post a few pictures.

There is only one you.

So fitting for Alexa.  She, as she eloquently, and simply, put it one day "just wants to be me." 

And so far, she definitely is.

Can you believe it's March!

Project Life - trying to catch up.

I'm up to weeks 4 and 5.  Unfortunately, I think I'm living in week 8 or 9.  I lost count already.  Luckily, I had enough foresight to write my weeks/photos/ideas down in a notebook.

 

I love using the Studio Calico months stamps for each layout.  I added some Elles Studio and Simple Stories journaling cards, along with beginning to add memorabilia.  Definitely going to start incorporating more "day-to-day" stuff on my pages.  Still struggling with printing the photos, a work in progress.  Love keeping memories of our every day lives! 

Blog Renovations

Well, it was probably time (past time) for a blog face lift.  I've played around with the designs a bit (ready made courtesy of blogger) and edited a few links.  There is still a bunch more I'd like to do, but it's a start.

I would spend more time playing with blogger, but I really want to get down in my scrap area and start using up some kits.  I've been plugging along in my version of project life, only 2 weeks behind, which I consider ok at this point! 

Project Life - sans divided page protectors

I knew when I decided to try and hop on the Project Life bandwagon, I didn't want to commit to buying MORE supplies. I have enough kits, patterned paper and embellishments to scrap for, ahem, awhile to say the least.  Still working out the photo sizes and need to get a few standard layouts down, but I am enjoying the 'no frills" scrapbooking of Project Life. 

Here are weeks one through three.

I'm only one week behind.  I consider that on schedule so far!  Ha.  I'd like to start adding more journaling cards, stuff (school work, tickets, etc..) and embellishments.  Slowly but surely.

Next is to finish up my Apron Strings projects for February.  Then back to Project Life and a bunch of unscrapped photos waiting for me on my desk.

Right now.

Reading:

Purchased:

(twogirlz on Etsy)


Martha Stewart labels

Scrapping:

(Ocotber Afternoon Farmhouse collection, in the February Apron Strings Kit)

Project Life - title page

Project Life in 2012?  So far so good.  I have actually completed my title page and the first two weeks.  I only have a picture of the title page.   The weather here?  Not so good.  First it was raining, then windy, now windy and snowy.  And cold.  Brrrr.  I'm hoping to get a picture of the first two weeks, when the sun arrives again. 

I used my January ASD kit for this page.  Mainly the Fancy Pants line, with a few additions from the other page kits, and some old school Thickers.  (Really, do Thickers ever get old?)

iphone snippets.

This was the girls first week back to school after a looooong 2 week vacation from school.  Crazy busy.
I'm attempting Project Life, and part of my goal is to take a photo a day, even if it doesn't end up in the PL scrapbook.

Basketball clinic and practices started (Tuesday - Thursday)

 Finishing up January Apron Strings projects.  (messy, messy craft area!)

 First day of swimming lessons at the YMCA.

Postponed 8th birthday party, a touch of the stomach flu.

 I love using my iphone, even if the pictures are less than stellar in low light.  It's quick, easy and readily accessible.  And I don't need to drag out my camera for every picture. 


Now it's time to commit to a layout for my Project Life week 1 and 2 and go with it.  I think that's the hardest part for me. I'm not using page protectors or a "kit" so I'm hoping to follow grid-like layouts, or even mimic the PL page protectors for design cues. 

Organizing: scrapbook layouts/photos.

I probably spend way too much time sorting, looking and moving supplies around.  I probably spend even more time trying to figure out what to scrap.  There are thousands of photos on our  hard drives and I wonder, too often, what to do....so, I decided to go through and scroll through the photos and list what I think is missing in the albums.  Tedious?  Yes.  Worth it?  Yes.  I have a huge list, sorted by year of events/highlights/favorite photos that did not make it into any album.  Hopefully, this will make it easier to find, and print pictures when I'm motivated to scrapbook.   I was inspired to do this after I realized how many layouts were waiting to go into albums.  (I will remain silent on how many page protectors and albums I had to invest in.  Yikes.)

I'm happy to say all layouts are in an album, with only a few pages needing to be resorted into the right order.  If I need to confirm I've scrapped (or not scrapped) something, I can just flip through the albums.

It's certainly not a finished project, but I'm happy with where it's at.  No more layouts laying around.  No more wondering what to scrap.  Now I just need a sketch, or some paper or maybe even some photos to motivate me, and I can get moving.

Now, to just get off the computer...

Project Life. I'm trying it.

I have all the best intentions, so we'll see how it goes, but I'm going to attempt a photo or two a day and scrapbook those "daily" memories in a project life scrapbook.  I didn't get a kit, or page protectors, so I plan on using my stash as much as humanly possible. (I certainly have enough in my stash!)   I'm also thinking of just doing one side per week, as opposed to a two-page spread every week.  Hopefully a freestyle approach will help me get the memories down on paper. I use PSE to edit my photos, and may use some downloaded storyboards to organize my weekly photos and to print them on an 8x10 or 8.5x11 piece of photo paper.

I don't typically carry my camera around with me but plan on using my iPhone as much as possible.  I'm also going to journal on the Momento app (2.99) to make it easy to remember what went on each day.  Momento also pulls in my instagram photos and facebook updates. 

On a side note, it's already 2012?  Where did the time go??

This is why I am not a photographer.

Well, this, and the fact I am not talented!  Attempting to take Christmas card photos tonight = epic fail.  Ava was a bit, mmm, sassy today. 

Better luck tomorrow!

Elfie has arrived.

On 12/1 Elfie came back from the North Pole to visit the girls.  So far he's kept a low profile, not getting into any trouble or toys yet.  Can't imagine that will last for long...

He are a few of his chosen place to rest so far.

This morning we found him in Ava's room, Alexa is hoping he'll make a visit soon in hers.  P.S. this picture above ^^^ is not in her room!  That's in our kitchen.  ;)

Now that the holiday activities are in full swing, I need to get moving on my December Daily.  All of my foundation pages are set, I just need to start adding photos, journaling and embellishments.  To keep on track I have been jotting down a few of the things that went on each day in my notebook.  I'm hoping to sit down one night and get several days done.  Some days are Christmas themed, others just a bit of insight into our daily routines.

Well I should get off the computer and down into my craft area to get moving on some projects.  Night!

December Daily 2011 - album cover

Long time no blog.  Every time I say I'm going to get better at blogging this year, life gets in the way.  Oh well. 

I did finally finish my December Daily album cover for this year and get all my pages punched and cut.  I used a 6x6 Crate Peppermint pad for some of the pages (glued back to back) and cut down some MME 12 Days of Christmas papers for the rest of the pages.  I have some Ormolu numbers for the pages.  I do need to get my foundation done for journaling.  I plan on using a two-page spread for each day.  One side will hold a 4x6 or multiple small photos and the opposing side will have the journaling.

Here is the album.  A Bo Bunny 6x6 chipboard album.

Pardon the messy work area.  Remnants of the December Bigger than a Breadbox Apron Strings kit (which is awesome, by the way.)

I'll be finishing up the inside page layouts this week...which is good since December is Thursday.

Back from vacation.

And this was my favorite photo:

Happy Halloween!

Ariel and a good witch and a scary papa
.

Happy Halloween!  Hope everyone had as much fun as they did!

I'm kind of excited.

Too bad March is 6 months away.

The choice for Cinna is growing on me.

Never forget.

To all the men and women who lost their lives 10 years ago today and to all the men and women who continue to serve and protect our nation, thank you.

Cleaning and organizing

And, maybe blogging?  Hopefully.  Summer was far too busy and one thing that got pushed back was blogging.  Along with cleaning and organizing my scrap area.  Now that the girls are back in school (Ava in Kindergarten?? What!??) I hope to have a little bit of time for my blog. 

We spent the summer visiting the grandparents' cottages and hung out (a lot) on the beach.  The girls had a blast.  I am a little happy to finally not be packing a suitcase every week. 

Tuesday was the first day of school.  Ava started Kindergarten.  I'm still in denial.  Sometimes she loves it, other times she doesn't.  Usually that corresponds to morning/afternoon. She's pretty whipped by the time I get home from work.  Alexa is loving 2nd grade, she practically did cartwheels to class she was so excited to go back.

I'll have to load up some pictures soon.